Electric signaling apparatus for railways.



W. J. COOK; ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR BAILWAYSQ APPLICATION FILED HA3. 2. 1909.

mums-sum 1.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

W. J. 000K.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. Z. 1909.

' Patented Jan.11,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

UN T F WILLIAM J. COOK, 0F DENVER, C(BLORADO, ASSIG-NOR To THE COOK RAILWAY SIGNAL COMIANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A GGBPORA'EION OF COLORADO.

ELECTRIC SIGNALIiNG MPAEATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Patented Jan. 11, 191%.

Application filed March 2, 1909. Serial No. 430,843.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. Coon, a citizen of the United States, resi'din in the city and county of Denver and tate 01 Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Apparatus for Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled 'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical signaling apparatus for railways, the special object of my present invention is to provide a construction especially adapted for use in connection with bridges or culverts whereby a signal may be given in the event of the destruction of the bridge or culvert. It is also equally adapted for use at all points along the track where the disturbance of the track will result in breaking a wire or electrical conductor, whereby a normally closed circuit will be disrupted. In this circuit is located a solenoid'which is normally energized and serves to act upon a spring-actuated latch whereby the latter looks a signal arm in the raised position or in the position indicating no danger. As soon as the circuit is broken and the solenoid deenergized the spring acting upon the'latch throws the latter to the unlocked position, allowing the signal arm to drop to the dangeiposition, thereby closing a local circuit in which an electric lamp is located, the lamp being mounted on the signal. By virtue of this construction a double danger signal is given, indicated by the position of the arm and also by the lighted lamp carried thereby, It is evident that any electrically operated signal may be employed.

My present invention is similar to that disclosed in my previous application, Serial No. 443,320, filed July 13, 1908. In the construction disclosed in the aforesaid application, the circuit isnormally open, while in my present application the main circuit is normally closed, the local lighting circuit alone being open and closed by the movement of the arm to the danger position.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment, thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a side view illustrating my improved apparatus, shown in connection with the bridge or culvert, to ether with means for operating the sig danger position. Fig. 2 illustrates means for giving a signal at the station or train nal given along the track by the operation of the si in detail illustrating a spring actuated device for breaking the main circuit as soon as the wire or cable is disrupted, the latter normally holding the said device in the circuit spring, the parts being shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the signal arm and its connections shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the same lookin in the direction of the arrow at the left 0 Fig. l.

The same reference characters represent the same parts in all the Views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a railway track composed of rails 6 and ties 7. Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 8 designates a culvert over which the said track passes.

culvert is a beam 10 upon which. is fulcrumed at 12, a lever-l1ke arm 13 whose lower extremity is provided with a blade or paddle 14, while its up er extremity is connected with a comparatively fragile device 15 consisting of a wire cord or' other suitable ticxible article. It may be assumed that the opposite extremities of theflexible device 15 are connected on opposite sides of the culvert with a rod 16 supported by parts 17 and 18 of a box 19, suitably arranged on each side of the culvert 8. Upon this rod 16 is mounted a part 20 composed of conducting material and adapted to close an electric circuit by engaging contacts 21 and 22 carried by the said box. .With these contacts, are re spectively connected pins 23 and 24 from tively. The conductor 25 leads to one terconductor 32 to one terminal of an electromagnet 33, from whose opposite terminal .leads a conductor 34 to one pole 35 of. an

closing position against the tension of its Connecting the posts or'abutments 9 of this which lead conductors 25 and 26 respec-.

na in the event that the water rises to the despatchers oihce, in harmony with the sig-" gnal arm. Fig. 3 is a sectional view minal 29 of the coil 2S of a solenoid 30,

electrical generator from Whose opposite The magne is provided with an armature 39 hinged ch40. From the hinged extremity of this armature leads a Wire ll to apole of an electric bell 4-6. From the opposite pole l7 oi the bell leads a wire 48 to a lamp lh'from which leads a Wire 50 to the pole 51 of a battery 52. From the opposite pole 53 ol this battery, leads a conductor 5%- to a contact 56. This contact is so located that when the magnet 38 is deenergized, its armature 39 will drop no engagement with contact 56, and close the battery circuit, thus ringing the bell 46 and lighting the lampQ. These signals are supposed to be located at a station along the track as in the desp-stcher s oflice for obvious reasons.

Attention is called loihe fact (see Fig. 3) shot a spiral spring A is interposed between the part 20 and a collar B mounted on the part 17' of the box and through Which the rod 16 slides freely. When the wire or other flexible device 15 is broken, the spring A which is under tension, acts to throw the part B so the dotted line position in the last named figure, thus removing it from engagement with the contacts 21 and 22,end breaking the electrical circuit throughthe solen- The upper extremity of'the movable sclenoid core is pivotally connected as shown with a lever 59 fulcrumed at 60.

Upon 'the arm 6110f this lever rest-s the lower extremity of a latch 62 which passes through openings formed in a sationary stirrup-- shaced bracket 63. Surrounding the latch. 62 Wichin thc'hracket is a spiral spring; 64 whose upper extremity engages the bZZEClKQiZ, TllllE is lower extremity engages a stop 65 fast upon the latch. The upper extremity of this latch engages a tooth 65 formed upon'a dislr 67 journaied upon a shaft 68.

Connected with the disk 67 and project ing therefrom is a signal arm 88 which normally occupies such a posi'ticn'that the iislc has a iendency to turn upon its journal as soon as the lalch 62 is disengaged from the booth. 665. Hence, as soon as she circuit through. the solenoid coil is broken, the

spring G l-acting on the stop 65 throws she latch downwardly disengaging it from the tooth $6 of the disk 67, allowing the dish bo'ioiieu'se iyhereby'tlie,arm 68 drops to the oiled line oosition in Fi (i sconce posits pole 74 leads a Wire 75 to a lamp 76 mounted upon the outer extremity of the signal 'arm 88. From the opposite terminal of this lamp leads a conductor 77 to a binding screw 78 thereby forming an electrical connection with the contact 69 and completing ihe local circuit through the lamp 76. From this is Will be understood that when the normally closed main circuit is broken, the hell do in the office of the sta lion agent Will be operated and the lamp 49 lighted by virtue of the consiruction and arrangement of parts heretofore described. At the same time, the signal arm which normally occupies the position shown in Fig. -32, Will drop to the dotted line position in the same figure, thereby closing the local circuit through the lamp 76 mounted'upon the signal arm.

The dislrfi? is mounted upon a post,79. These posts should be arranged at suitable vdistances from and upon opposite sides of each' culvert 8, so that in the event that the track is destroyed at the culvert or the Water 80 has risen so high as to make it dangerous for a train to pass, an engineer of-a train approaching from either direction, will be notified of the danger in time to stop his train.

Astension is called to the fact that the rotary disk 6'7 is equipped-With a pull cord or rope 81, to facilitate the movement of the disk to return the signal arm to the no danger posi fiion; after the said arm is moved to the danger position.

Havingihus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of signaling mechanism comprising a movable signal having a tend-- ency to assume the danger position, a sprin actuated latch for locking the signal in suc i position that it indicates no danger, a normally energized solenoid, a lever engaging the latch and normally acted on by the movable solenoid core to holdthe latch in the locked position against the tension of its spring, a circuit make-and-break device, a breakable device connected with the circuit make-andbreak device and normally holding the same in the closed position, and means connected with the breakable device and leading to a danger point, said means being arranged to be acted on by track disturbances sufiicieni; to disrupt the breakable device and allow the circuit make-and-break device to move to a position to break the circuit of the said solenoid.

2. In electric signaling apparatus, the combination of a movable signal having a dency to assume the danger position, e

i or looking the signal the solenoid core to hold the latch in the locked position against the tension of its ing a tendency to assume thedanger position, a spring actuated latch for locking the signal in such a position that it-indi'cates no danger, a normally energized electromagnetic relay, a lever engaging the latch and normally acted on by thesaid relay to hold the latch in the locked position, against the tension of its spring, a circuit make-andbreak device, a breakable device connected with the circuit make-and-break device and normally holding the same in the closed circuit position, and means connected with the breakable device and leading to a danger point, the said means being arranged to be acted on by track disturbances sufliciently to disrupt the breakable device and allow the circuit make-and-break device to.be

moved to a position to break the circuit of the said electromagnetic relay.

4. In electric railway signaling apparatus,

the combination of a movable signal normally having a tendency to assume the danger position, a spring actuated latch for normally locking the signal in a position to indicate no danger, an electromagnetic relay normally energized to hold the atch in the locking position against the tension of its spring, a circuit in which the electromagnetic relay is located, a. breakable device, a circuit make-and-break device with which the breakable device is connected, whereby the circuit make-and-break device is-held' in the closed circuit position, the circuit makeposition to break.

and-break device being acted on by a spring whose tendency is to. throw the make-andbreak devlce into the open circuit position,

' and means connected with the breakable device andleading to a danger point along the track, and so arranged that a strain'upon said device will disrupt the same and'allow the circuit make-and-break device to move to tromagnetic relay is deenergized and the latch thrown by its spring to the unlocked POSltlOIL- 5. In electric railway signal apparatus, the combination of a signaling device, a spring actuated latch for locking the signaling device in a position to indicate no danger, a normally energized electromagnetic relay acting on the latch to hold the I the open circuit position, whereby the eleclatter in'position to lock'the signaling device. in-the position to indicate no danger, a closed clrcult 1n wlnch the electromagnetic relay is located, a circuit make-and-break de- 7 vice, a breakable device leading toa danger point along the track and connected with the circuit make-and-break device to normally hold the latter in the closed circuit position, and means connected with the breakable device and le'adingto a danger point, the said means being arranged to be acted on by track disturbances to disrupt the breakable device and allow the circuit makeand-break device to move to a position to open the circuit of the electromagnetic relay,

whereby the latch is allowed to move to the unlocked position allowing the signaling device to move to the danger position, an electric signal mounted on the signaling device, a local circuit in which the electric signal is located, and means for closingthe local circuit through the electrical signal when the movable signal device moves to the danger position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- WILLIAV J. COOK. \Vitnesscs:

Jnssm F. HonAn'r, A. Ennn'r OBmnN. 

